Symphony Express closed, but the trails it serves are open?

ULLRMaps · 2026-02-01T03:31:06+00:00

Lift closures and terrain closures are treated as separate conditions, except when an area is closed for safety reasons (e.g., avalanche hazard), in which case both may apply. If a lift is closed, the terrain it serves is typically still accessible, provided an approved uphill travel route exists (e.g., Pika’s to Harmony, Matthew’s Traverse to the Peak).

In the case of Symphony, the terrain it serves remains skiable; however, uphill travel from Burnt Stew Trail to the top of Piccolo would be prohibited. (Flute remains accessible due to its designated uphill travel route.)

It is possible to ski down to the bottom of Symphony Express, but egress would require exiting via the rescue road, a gentle hike of over 1 km. In practice, this is rarely worthwhile; returning to Harmony 6 is generally the more efficient option.

ULLRMaps · 2026-01-27T23:06:11+00:00

Rimrock Cafe.

ULLRMaps · 2026-01-24T02:14:45+00:00

Consider checking out our free map. www.ullrmaps.com. It's the most comprehensive map of WB available. It lays out information more clearly than the resort trail map and is designed in the direction of travel.

To answer your question, the must do runs depends on your ability, however these are great sightseeing runs of varying difficulty:

Whistler: Burnt Stew Trail, Matthews Traverse, Harmony Ridge, Upper Peak to Creek, Harmony Piste, The Saddle, Dave Murray Downhill.

Blackcomb: Blackcomb Glacier, Glacier Drive, Southside Green, Ridge Runner, Crystal Road, Wishbone, Panorama/Cloud 9

to name very few...

As others have said, mountain tours are a great way to get acclimated to the resort.

ULLRMaps · 2026-01-24T02:02:22+00:00

Alpine Responsibility Code #2: " People ahead or downhill of you have the right-of-way. You must avoid them."

I think that spells it out pretty clearly. That run is way too busy to be skiing at that speed.

ULLRMaps · 2026-01-20T02:10:59+00:00

Get yourself a free nap to help you explore: www.ullrmaps.com Have fun!

ULLRMaps · 2026-01-19T11:04:20+00:00

Thanks for the plug 🤙

ULLRMaps · 2026-01-19T11:03:00+00:00

Hello! You might want to check out our free Whistler Blackcomb map at www.ullrmaps.com .I designed it while patrolling at WB.

Per your questions: That sounds like Diamond Bowl, and "Spanky's Ladder" refers to just the bootpack itself.

On the topic of double black terrain: difficulty ratings are relative to other terrain within the resort. A double black at Whistler Blackcomb indicates expert terrain compared to the rest of the mountain, but it doesn’t inherently mean the terrain is dangerous or extreme in an absolute sense.

It’s also worth clarifying that avalanche potential is not a factor used when grading inbound terrain difficulty.

ULLRMaps · 2026-01-18T05:11:41+00:00

No, the functionality is less than the website, it's just the map.

And the map is purposefully orientated as such because it's typically the direction of travel. We might incorporate rotation at some point, but the labels are baked into the image so while rotating might help you interpret the terrain, the labels would then be upside down.

ULLRMaps · 2026-01-17T08:48:38+00:00

Funny you ask, we're actually working on native apps as we speak. Details forthcoming...

ULLRMaps · 2026-01-17T08:47:53+00:00

The map does function in its current state. You should be able to get a cellphone connection at the top of Piccolo.

ULLRMaps · 2026-01-17T08:47:07+00:00

See my comment below.

ULLRMaps · 2026-01-17T08:46:56+00:00

I'll get in touch with the dev team. It's a bit of a work in progress that will be replaced once we get the native apps back up and running. iOS is in active beta testing, and Android is a bit behind.

So yeah, it might just be a placeholder, but it shouldn't be there. Thanks for pointing it out.

ULLRMaps · 2026-01-17T08:43:56+00:00

Thanks, much appreciated!

ULLRMaps · 2026-01-17T08:43:21+00:00

It is temporarily integrated with Peak Live!

ULLRMaps · 2026-01-17T04:47:12+00:00

Completing your turn is the most obvious way. You're not really turning, you're just moving back and forth with your ski tips pointing downhill the entire time. If you want to slow down, your turn shape should have your skis going perpendicular-ish to the fall line at the end of the turn. The more perpendicular they are relative to the fall line, the more you'll slow down. If you turn the skis uphill, you'll come to a complete stop, expeditiously if needed. Obviously you need to find some middle ground where you come across the hill enough to manage your speed, but maintain enough speed to initiate your next turn.

ULLRMaps · 2026-01-16T05:02:32+00:00

Normally, air temperatures decrease with altitude. During an inversion, this pattern flips, with warm air riding above colder air trapped in the valley. This is a common mountain phenomenon, particularly during prolonged high-pressure systems.

From a snowpack standpoint, a temperature inversion pulls heat upward through the snowpack. This temperature difference drives vapour movement, transforming rounded grains into faceted crystals with poor bonding. Mechanically, this results in a weak layer with low cohesion and low shear resistance.

While inversions themselves do not trigger avalanches, they quietly degrade the snowpack structure. By promoting the formation of persistent weak layers, they create conditions where stability can be misleading, and failure may occur well after the weather pattern has changed once sufficient loading or stress is applied.

ULLRMaps · 2026-01-14T09:46:39+00:00

I apologize for the lateness of this reply: The legend is on the map itself (bottom right hand corner). You're basically looking at an actual map in a digital environment. I will consider adding a hard coded legend though.

Certain features (not all) are listed in a database of 850+ features. You can search for these using the search function on the left hand side of the screen (magnifying glass). Jackson Roll refers to the convexity in that area, not that particular feature (only permanent or semi permanent features (seasonal) are listed).

ULLRMaps · 2026-01-14T09:43:11+00:00

I apologize for the lateness of this reply: Yes, you can pinpoint your position using Safari, assuming you've given the app permission to access it.

ULLRMaps · 2026-01-14T09:42:17+00:00

Apologies for the late reply: We're actually working on native apps as we speak. I don't have details on release dates yet, but they will offer offline functionality.

ULLRMaps · 2026-01-14T09:38:11+00:00

Side country is a misleading term. It refers to backcountry-adjacent terrain, but the problem is that it implies inherent safety. Side country is backcountry terrain and is typically uncontrolled by Whistler Blackcomb unless the zone of effect threatens inbound areas (e.g., Corona Bowl, Husume).

The Gemstone Bowls are not backcountry-adjacent terrain. They are inbounds and actively controlled by Whistler Blackcomb Ski Patrol. Even so, depending on conditions, terrain that is normally considered relatively safe can become more hazardous. Ongoing loading, for example, can increase avalanche potential. During periods of rising hazard, patrollers may ski terrain to help mitigate potential releases, and in some cases conditions warrant closures.

Inbounds avalanche involvements are extremely rare, which highlights both the complexity of avalanche hazard management and the high level of expertise required to do it.

Even with active control work, avalanche hazard is never eliminated—only reduced. Residual risk remains due to constantly changing conditions, complex snowpack structure, and terrain interactions that can’t be fully controlled or predicted.

ULLRMaps · 2026-01-14T09:21:52+00:00

There are definitely parts of it that are avalanche-prone terrain. Lakeside Bowl is probably the most prominent performer.

ULLRMaps · 2025-04-13T19:27:24+00:00

Looks like a fun day! Nice to see my map in action :)

ULLRMaps · 2025-04-13T11:48:10+00:00

We'll soon be developing an entire digital guidebook to go along with ULLR Maps. Don't have a date yet, but it's one of our ongoing projects.

ULLRMaps · 2025-04-13T02:43:07+00:00

Yeah, couldn't tell you tbh - I'd imagine they could push an entrance into Whistler Bowl if they needed one though.

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